


things you said and didn't mean

by blindbatalex



Category: Football RPF
Genre: And like, M/M, a lil h/c in the aftermath of spain's world cup exit, also!!, finally cleaned it and cross posted from tumblr, i want to read and write SO MANY serard fics, my first time writing serard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-28
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-06-17 17:24:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15466362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blindbatalex/pseuds/blindbatalex
Summary: “You are a good captain,” Geri says after a moment. He goes for the ironic but there is enough there to make Sergio stop in his tracks for a second.





	things you said and didn't mean

Sergio finds Geri sitting on the edge of the bed, hands on his thighs, staring blankly at the wall. He doesn’t hear Sergio come in even though Sergio isn't particularly quiet, only notices when he walks up to the bed. His eyes briefly flick over to Sergio with mildest of interest, questioning what he is doing there for a moment, before he decides to take it as a given and goes back to staring at the wall.

Fuck.

This is precisely why Sergio wanted to check up on Geri - Geri who always holds it together on the pitch and in the dressing room and grieves harder than any of them when he is alone.

Sergio’s heart breaks a little at the sight. He has been checking in with everybody; it’s his duty as the captain to make sure they are alright - as alright as they can be anyway - but Geri-

He is honest with himself enough to admit that he hasn’t felt an urgent, bone-deep need to hold any of their other teammates in his arms, cradle them until they are alright.

He knows better of course, better than to so much as to touch Geri under the current circumstances.

Instead he leans against the wall, right in Geri’s line of vision and quite impossible to ignore without significant effort and tells him it wasn’t his fault. It comes out hollow and empty. Geri is too smart, even in his current state, to let him get away with it.

“You don’t mean that.”

Sergio sighs. If only it was for once easy with this man. If only he took a platitude for once and let himself be comforted.

“I don’t,” Sergio admits, since he won't. “You gave away the penalty, lost us the lead. If you hadn’t any one of us could have messed it up. I could have gotten a red card. The Russians could have scored on the counter. But you did and that’s that.”

He gets a half salute in return, bitter and ironic.

It’s the midfield’s fault too for failing to create better plays, the offense’s for failing to finish. Dave’s for not saving any of the penalties. Koke’s for missing and his for failing to clear that ball before it even got to Geri’s hand.

But Geri isn’t interested in all of that, focused only on his own part. Sergio would love to say he can’t relate when he is the one who messes up.

“You are still the best defensive partner I’ve had though.”

Geri looks up at that, his eyes a little wide with disbelief.

Sergio holds his gaze, lets Geri convince himself of its truth - this is the best he can do for Geri as his captain, as his…he doesn’t know what, no matter how naked that truth makes him feel.

Geri smirks after a moment - for the first time since the game - and Sergio watches the disbelief make way for something more like the infuriating Barcelona man he knows.

“Yeah? You are definitely in my top twenty too.”

“Oh fuck off.”

“We are in my room if you remember.”

Sergio rolls his eyes with as much exaggeration as he can put into it, tells him there he was about to offer to pack Geri’s bags for him.

“You will pack my bags for me?” comes the reply with utter delight. Geri rolls onto his stomach on the bed and puts his head in his hands, positively grinning now.

Sergio allows himself to enjoy his victory even as he explains that he has a duty to the rest of the team that Geri’s dumb ass isn’t the reason they run late. He starts shoving the various articles of clothing lying on the chairs and the floor into the suitcase without ceremony, aware of Geri’s eyes watching him as he moves around.

“You are a good captain,” Geri says after a moment. He goes for the ironic but there is enough there to make Sergio stop in his tracks for a second.

Sergio wonders where it will leave them when they retire from international duty, a specter that looms ever closer. Whether the fucking wasn’t just for chemistry and the stress relief, their business venture not an excuse to spend more time together. Wonders if it would be batshit crazy if he were to do something about it.

“Tell me something I don’t know,” he says coldly as he fishes out a sock from under the bed.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading friends! Comments are my life blood so please do let me know if you liked this ficlet which was mostly me trying to recover from the disastrous wc campaign. i am also on tumblr @blindbatalex and love it when people come yell at me about fics and ships if you want to come and say hi


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